Equilibrium between Clinopyroxene and Host Rocks: Implication for the Magmatic Source and Evolution of Alkali Basalts of the Taohekou Formation in the Northern Daba Mountains, China

The Taohekou Formation is a volcanic-sedimentary terrane formed in the early Silurian in the northern Daba Mountains, China. The volcanic rocks, with dominant alkali basalts and minor mantle xenoliths, are enriched in clinopyroxene phenocrysts. Geochemical analysis shows that the composition of clinopyroxenes from different lithofacies has a close affinity. There is a liner correlation present in composition of clinopyroxenes (including phenocryst, microcrystal and xenocryst) from coarse porphyritic basalts, pillow or fine porphyritic basalts to amygdaloidal basalts. All the clinopyroxenes, except the clinopyroxenes in mantle xenoliths, show a similar pattern of trace elements and REE, which indicates that they are likely products of successive fractional crystallization from cognate magma. Clinopyroxenes in mantle xenoliths, however, are mantle xenocrysts. The crystallization pressure of clinopyroxenes gradually decreases from mantle xenolith, deep-seated xenocryst, coarse porphritic basalts, pillow or fine porphritic basalts, to amygdaloidal basalts, which are 1.92–4.41 GPa, 1.18–2.36 GPa, 1.13–2.05 GPa, 0.44–0.62 GPa and 0.14–0.28 GPa respectively. Calculation results suggest that the primary magma originated from a mantle region deeper than 68 km and stagnates in intervals of 37–68 km, 15–20 km and 5–9 km during its ascent. The alkali basalts are characterized by increasing concentrations of Si and alkaline with the magmatic evolution. Meanwhile, they are markedly enriched in LREE, and the patterns of trace elements and REE are similar to those of oceanic island basalts.